Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
It sounded easy for Jesus to say it: “Abide in Me, and I in you” (John 15:4). But how do we do it?
He gives an explanation a little later: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you …” (vs. 7). It’s clear: we abide in Him by permitting His words in the Bible to lodge in our minds and hearts.
But that requires another miracle: “Blessed [happy] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness ...” (Matt. 5:6). Suppose you have no hunger and thirst for the Bible. When your body needs nourishment, God has built in to you a system that creates hunger for food and thirst for water; you’ll make almost any sacrifice in order to obtain them. Jesus says you’ll be a happy person when you can experience that wonderful hunger and thirst for Bible truth.
If in your honest moments you realize that you have a greater hunger and thirst for entertainment, don’t give up and say you’re hopeless. The Holy Spirit is delighted to heal you and develop in you a spiritual “appestat,” that mysterious function that creates a longing for food and water. He is happy to teach you to hunger and thirst for spiritual nourishment.
I was a freshman in college when I realized I had no hunger to read the Bible; reading it was like a dose of bitter medicine. But I was serious. I decided to do something: I would not go to the cafeteria until the Lord gave me a hunger and thirst for spiritual food. I remember sitting in my room alone when mealtimes came; but no miracle happened.
But I did choose to try to do my part: I knelt and tried to read the Gospel of John. It was boring, like the stock market reports. I had read John for years, but it never lighted up for me. It seemed as though my prayer was for nothing. But gradually a tiny bit of light began to shine in the text; and I thanked the Lord and praised Him when I finally began to treasure the Gospel of John, and the Bible.
Let me encourage every one, young and old: the Lord will not despise your prayer! He promises: “Turn at My reproof [yes, be serious!]; surely I will pour out My Spirit on you; I will make My words known to you” (Prov. 1:23).
—Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: April 6, 2008.
Copyright © 2014 by "Dial Daily Bread."
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/dailybread/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to:dailybread@1888message.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
